eeemojieeemoji
←🌑🌓→

Waxing Crescent Moon Emoji

Travel & PlacesU+1F312:waxing_crescent_moon:
crescentdreamsmoonspacewaxing

About Waxing Crescent Moon 🌒

Waxing Crescent Moon () is part of the Travel & Places group in Unicode. Added in Unicode E1.0. Type on GitHub and Slack to use it. Click copy above to grab it, paste it anywhere.

Works in iMessage, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Instagram, Twitter, Gmail, and every app that supports Unicode.

Often associated with crescent, dreams, moon, and 2 more keywords.

Meaning varies across cultures, see cultural notes below.

Scroll down for the full story: meaning, trends, combos, and more.

All Travel & Places emojisCheat SheetKeyboard ShortcutsSlack GuideDiscord GuideDeveloper ToolsCompare Emoji Tools

How it looks

What does it mean?

🌒 is the waxing crescent moon: a thin sliver of light on the right side of an otherwise dark circle, second of the eight astronomical phase emojis. Between 1% and about 49% of the moon's visible disc is illuminated. It's the first visible phase after the new moon, the moment when the lunar cycle becomes watchable again.

Approved in Unicode 6.0 (2010) as WAXING CRESCENT MOON SYMBOL. Unlike 🌙, which is a generic night/bedtime/Ramadan emoji, 🌒 carries weight in two specific contexts: astronomy (where it tracks a real phase of the 29.5-day synodic cycle) and astrology (where it represents the intention-setting stage right after new-moon darkness).

It's also one of the most mixed-up moons. People reflexively reach for whichever direction feels right and end up using 🌘 (waning crescent) when they mean 🌒 (waxing). The Northern Hemisphere mnemonic: a backward-C shape means the moon is Crescenting (growing). A forward-C means it's Decreasing. Or: right side lit = waxing, left side lit = waning.

🌒 shows up in three specific places. First, astronomy and sky-watching content. Amateur astronomers post 🌒 when the waxing crescent reappears in the western sky after sunset. Second, moon magic and witchy content: the waxing crescent is the 'intention-growth' phase, so witches, tarot readers, and manifestation accounts post it with 'your seeds are taking root' messaging. Third, photography. The thin right-lit crescent against dusk is one of the most photographed lunar phases, especially when earthshine illuminates the dark portion of the disc.

Casual users rarely reach for 🌒. When someone wants a plain moon for bedtime or nighttime, they use 🌙. When they want an astronomical reference, they use 🌒, 🌓, or 🌕.

Moon phase tracking apps and postsAstrology intention settingAstronomy and sky photographyEarly-growth manifestation contentHilal sighting referencesWitchy 'new cycle is starting' vibe
What does 🌒 mean in texting?

The waxing crescent moon: the first visible sliver after the new moon (1-49% lit, right side). Used in astrology for the 'intention-growth' phase, in astronomy for sky-tracking, and occasionally for the Islamic Hilal sighting. Represents early growth, hope, and emerging light.

The Complete Lunar Cycle

Eight moon-phase emojis track the full 29.5-day synodic cycle. 🌒 is the second phase, the moment the moon becomes visible again after the new moon.
🌑
🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘
IlluminationMeaning
🌑 New Moon0%Invisible. New beginnings, intentions, void.
🌒 Waxing Crescent1-49%First sliver. Growth starting, hope emerging.
🌓 First Quarter50%Half lit (right). Decision point, action.
🌔 Waxing Gibbous51-99%Almost full. Refinement, patience.
🌕 Full Moon100%Fully lit. Completion, intensity, werewolves.
🌖 Waning Gibbous99-51%Starting to shrink. Gratitude, sharing.
🌗 Last Quarter50%Half lit (left). Release, forgiveness.
🌘 Waning Crescent49-1%Final sliver. Rest, surrender, closure.

Emoji combos

Origin story

The waxing crescent is the first moon phase visible after the new moon, typically seen 1-3 days after sunset as a narrow sliver in the western sky. The synodic lunar cycle lasts 29.53 days on average, and the waxing crescent occupies roughly days 1-7 of that cycle.

Every pre-modern civilization with a lunar calendar depended on spotting this phase. The Islamic Hilal, observed on the 29th day of a lunar month, marks the start of the next month. Seeing the Hilal of Ramadan still begins the fasting month for Muslims worldwide. The Hebrew calendar historically used crescent sightings too, though it's now mostly calculated. The Chinese lunisolar calendar tracks crescent appearances for the start of each month.

Leonardo da Vinci sketched the waxing crescent with earthshine around 1510 and correctly explained the phenomenon: the faint glow on the dark portion is sunlight bouncing off Earth back to the moon. He beat the rest of science to the explanation by nearly a century.

Approved in Unicode 6.0 (October 2010) as WAXING CRESCENT MOON SYMBOL. Unicode uses a separate code point () for the generic 🌙, which is why 🌒 and 🌙 represent the same real-world phase but are distinct emojis.

Around the world

Muslim-majority countries

The Hilal (young crescent) sighting determines the start of each Islamic month, especially Ramadan. Countries occasionally start Ramadan a day apart depending on whether their observers see the crescent that night.

Western astrology

🌒 represents the 'intention-taking-root' phase. Manifestation TikTok and Instagram witchcraft communities post during this window with rituals tied to growth.

Northern vs Southern Hemisphere

In the Northern Hemisphere, the waxing crescent is lit on the right (like 🌒). In the Southern Hemisphere, it's lit on the left, looking like 🌘. Unicode and most emoji vendors render the Northern Hemisphere view.

What does the waxing crescent mean in astrology?

The 'intention takes root' phase. After new-moon goal-setting (🌑), the waxing crescent represents the first tangible growth of those intentions. Manifestation communities post ritual guidance during this window. See Moon School's waxing crescent guide.

Often confused with

🌘 Waning Crescent Moon

Mirror image. 🌒 (waxing) is lit on the right. 🌘 (waning) is lit on the left. Same amount of light, opposite direction, opposite meaning. Waxing = growing. Waning = shrinking.

🌙 Crescent Moon

Minimalist vs astronomical. 🌙 is a thin curve without a disc behind it. 🌒 shows the full outlined disc with one side lit. Use 🌙 for bedtime/aesthetic, 🌒 for real astronomy.

🌓 First Quarter Moon

Next phase up. 🌒 is 1-49% lit. 🌓 (first quarter) is exactly 50% lit. If you're tracking the cycle day by day, the transition happens about 7 days after the new moon.

What's the difference between 🌒 and 🌙?

🌒 is specifically the waxing crescent phase with a visible outlined disc (one side lit). 🌙 is a minimalist crescent used broadly for nighttime, bedtime, Islam, and moon aesthetics. 🌒 is astronomical; 🌙 is atmospheric. Google Trends shows 🌙 outsearches 🌒 roughly 10 to 1.

What's the difference between 🌒 and 🌘?

Mirror images. 🌒 (waxing crescent) is lit on the right side and represents the moon growing toward full. 🌘 (waning crescent) is lit on the left side and represents the moon shrinking back toward new. Same amount of illumination, opposite meaning.

🌒 vs 🌙 search volume

🌙 dominates 🌒 in search by about 10 to 1. People use 🌙 for general moon searches and 🌒 only when they need the astronomical phase specifically.

Caption ideas

💡Waxing = right, waning = left
In the Northern Hemisphere, a crescent lit on the right (🌒) is waxing (growing). A crescent lit on the left (🌘) is waning (shrinking). The light 'fills in' from right to left over the first half of the cycle and drains right to left in the second half.
🤔Earthshine
If you see the full outline of the moon glowing faintly around the bright crescent, that's earthshine, sunlight reflected off Earth illuminating the moon's dark side. Leonardo da Vinci first explained it around 1510, roughly a century before anyone else.
⚡Best visible just after sunset
The waxing crescent is only up in the western sky for a few hours after sunset. If you want to spot it, look low on the western horizon between 20 and 90 minutes after the sun sets.

Fun facts

  • •The Islamic Hilal, the first waxing crescent sighting, determines the start of each Islamic month. Countries sometimes begin Ramadan a day apart depending on local crescent visibility.
  • •Earthshine, the faint glow on the dark portion of the crescent, was correctly explained by Leonardo da Vinci around 1510. He realized it was sunlight reflected off Earth back onto the moon.
  • •The waxing crescent is only visible from Earth for a few hours after sunset, low on the western horizon. It sets within 2-4 hours of the sun.
  • •A complete synodic lunar cycle (new moon to new moon) takes 29.5306 days. The waxing crescent occupies roughly days 1-7 of that cycle.
  • •In the Southern Hemisphere, the waxing crescent appears lit on the left side, which looks like 🌘 to Northern Hemisphere viewers. Unicode renders the Northern view.
  • •Many astrology and moon-magic traditions treat the waxing crescent as a ritual window for setting intentions and starting new projects. Moon School and similar sites publish monthly 'how to work with this crescent' guides during every waxing phase.

Trivia

How long is a complete lunar cycle (new moon to new moon)?
Who first correctly explained earthshine (the faint glow on a crescent's dark side)?
In the Northern Hemisphere, which side of the crescent is lit when the moon is waxing?

For developers

  • •🌒 is . UTF-8: . HTML entity: .
  • •Shortcodes: (Slack, Discord, GitHub).
  • •Full Unicode name is WAXING CRESCENT MOON SYMBOL (note the 'SYMBOL' suffix, which distinguishes it from the generic 🌙).
When can I see the waxing crescent moon?

Just after sunset, low on the western horizon, between 20 and 90 minutes after the sun sets. It only stays up for a few hours before setting itself. Visible roughly 1-7 days after the new moon.

See the full Emoji Developer Tools guide for regex patterns, encoding helpers, and more.

Why do you use 🌒?

Select all that apply

See also
🌘Waning Crescent Moon🌙Crescent Moon🌓First Quarter Moon🌑New Moon✨Sparkles🌱Seedling
Sources

Related Emojis

🌔Waxing Gibbous Moon🌘Waning Crescent Moon🌙Crescent Moon🌑New Moon🌓First Quarter Moon🌕️Full Moon🌖Waning Gibbous Moon🌗Last Quarter Moon

More Travel & Places

🕣Eight-thirty🕘Nine O’clock🕤Nine-thirty🕙Ten O’clock🕥Ten-thirty🕚Eleven O’clock🕦Eleven-thirty🌑New Moon🌓First Quarter Moon🌔Waxing Gibbous Moon🌕Full Moon🌖Waning Gibbous Moon🌗Last Quarter Moon🌘Waning Crescent Moon🌙Crescent Moon

All Travel & Places emojis →

Share this emoji

2,000+ emojis deeply researched. One click to copy. No ads.

Open eeemoji →